Snap hook



Aug; 21, 1951 .J. T. REBOTSKY SNAP HOOK Filed NOV. 17, 1949 I n ventor Joseph T. Rebolsky S V M r 0 H. A

Patented Aug. 21, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SNAP HOOK Joseph T. Rebotsky, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor of one-half to Farrel W. Snellings, Gompton,

Calif.

Application November 17, 1949, Serial No. 127,911

hold a'eonnecting ring or link carried by a chain or equivalent element.

An object of the invention is to structurally, functionally and otherwise improve on doubletype snap hooks and, in so doing, to provide a distinctly different kind of fastener in which manufacturers and users willfind their respective requirements and needs more satisfactorily met, contained and expeditiously available.

Another object of the .invention is to provide a fastener of the class under consideration which lends itself to practical production from various kinds of metals such as gold, silver, platinum, SteL-brass, commercial plastics and the like.

A further object is to provide a twin-hooks snap fastener which may be used to great advantage in conjunction with jewelry such as ear- "rings, watch chains, necklaces, bracelets, anklets and the like.

A still further object is to provide a, fastener which, constructed as herein shown and dc scribed, may be aptly used in connection with fishing tackle, may be used aptly on wearing apparel, bridle harnesses, dog leashes, electrical fixtures and whatnot.

In addition to strength, durability and simplicity, the fastener is expressly designed in a man'ne'r'whic'h will enable it to be advantageously F stantia'lliy closed, whereby to :provide normally 'closed hooking-eyes of great strength and reliability.

What ismore, it is a cardinal purpose .to provide a twin-hooks fastener with substantially closed hooks and with laterally flared terminals on the bill portions these coinciding and registering with a link receiving and guiding loop which mechanical-1y regulates the inserting and removing positions of the chain link so. that it is selfguided into and out of position in respect to said hooks and so that the usual quarter turns "in clockwise and counter clockwise directions are virtually governed by an expansible and contractible crotch forming an end portion of said loop.

Other objects and advantages will become-mere readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawing.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate 'li'ke parts throughout the views:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view which shows in dotted and full lines a twin-hooks fastener at the left and a link at the rig-ht, the "link being shown in its several stages of insertion between the hooks;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view based .on Fig. 1 and showing the final step, that is, after the 'link has been passed into the loop, turned .90 from left to right and pulled back and anchored in the hooks;

Fig. 3 is an edge elevation; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation .at right angles to and observing Fig. 3 in a direction of right to left.

Referring now to the drawings by reference numerals and accompanying lead lines the fas- :tener unit or snap hook is denoted, as .a :unit, by the numeral 6 and the :chain unit, which is adapted to be releasably connected thereto, is denoted by the numeral 8. In the latter, "the numeral 10 may designate a chain, rod, or other element provided with :a flat elongated coupling link 12. Obviously, the link :12 may :be a ring -.or 'of any other geometrical shape. The invention primarily resides in the fastener or unit 6 :but .is to be interpreted with :and without the units.

Unit 16 315 here :shown :as formed from a single length of 'metal .or suitable material ibent upon itself :to provide limbs having .an eye HI :at one end and 'complemental hooks 16 and 18 :at the opposite ends.

'These EhOGkS, instead of being partly or wholly .open, as is generally the case with snap hooks of this iclass, are substantially closed. That is tozsay, the respective mouth por- 'tions .of the ,hooks are :closed and "instead 'of calling Ethem hooks they could "-be perhaps rerferred to ;as lopenable and closable eyes with which link [2 is adapted to be releasably connected. Between its ends, the unit 6 has its limb portions fashioned into what may be conveniently referred to as a guide loop 20. This is an espe- 3 cially important part in that it is so made and its components are so angled and related to the hooks l6 and Is that it is not only the loop, but, functionally, constitutes clearance means, guard means and guide means for the link. It follows that one reach or side member of the loop is set to the left of the longitudinal axis of the fastener and the other one ofiset to the right as brought out in the edge or top plan view seen in Fig. 3. The intermediate portions are bent and one bend 22 is to the left and the other bend 24 to the right. These bends define important converging guides 26 and 28 which, in turn define an expansible and contractible V-shaped crotch. Attention is called at this time to the fact that the space 34 between the opposed parallel hooks l8 and I8 defines a straight-away passageway between the inner opposed surfaces of the two hooks. Since the bill portions of the hooks come in direct contact with the respective coacting limb portions, they define normally closed mouths. The mouth portions being on opposite sides of the passageway provide, in this manner, what is a common entrance and exit for the respective hooks. The expansible and contractible vertex of the V-shaped crotch merges into the passage and coincides therewith'at the stated entrance and exit for said hooks.

It will be noted too that the substantially closed bill portions of the hooks are flared outwardly as at 30 and 32 (see Fig. 4). In all of these double or twin-type snap hooks, the bill portions open in diametrically opposite directions and therefore this principle of construction is quite old. It is thought to be new, however, to have the laterally flared bill portions forming substantially closed mouths and with said bill portions coinciding with a crotch defined by the guides 26 and 28, which crotch smoothly feeds the link into the hooks. Then, too, by having the guides thus converging and offset to opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the fastener in the unit, they are properly located to govern and direct the quarter-turn step of operation of the link. It is customary in these types of fasteners that when the link or ring is passed between the hooks for fastening, it is given a turn in either one direction or the other and then pulled out again and lodged in the seating portions of the hooks. In this arrangement when the link is inserted and passed between the hooks by way of the passageway or space 345 (see Fig. 1) it is moved in the direction of the arrows (A) and is pressed into the V-crotch of loop means 29. has clearance for the necessary quarter-turn. It will be noted, however, that it cannot be turned in a counter clockwise direction and therefore its natural incline leans in the proper clockwise direction. Therefore, the link is virtually selfturning, as it were, and feeds and guides itself byway of the guides 26 through the openable mouths and into the seat portions of the hooks l6 and It. This will be clear by comparin the first step of moving the link in the direction of arrows (A) in Fig. 1 and the second step of moving the links in the direction of arrows (B) in Fig. 2. The tips of the terminals of the respective hooks are in a coinciding plane with each other and line up and coact with the guides 26 h and 28 in rendering the insertion and removal Here it steps substantially positive and foolproof. To unhook the link, all that is required is to snap same past the ends of the hooks and give a. quarter-turn and the link is completely disengaged from the hooks. Due to the construction shown there is no chance of the link slipping into connection with one hook only. Almost invariably, the link is simultaneously seated in both hooks. The engaging step is quite as simple and smooth. By having the substantially closed hooks or eyes H5 and 18 a much stronger construction is had to withstand pressure and wear and tear.

A careful consideration of the foregoing description in conjunction with the invention as illustrated in the drawings will enable the reader to obtain a clear understanding and impression of the alleged features of merit and novelty sufiicient to clarify the construction of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A chain link fastener of the class described comprising a snap hook unit embodying a pair of individual resilient limbs connected with one another at corresponding ends, the opposite corresponding ends of said limbs being disconnected, free, and flexibly movable toward and from one another, said limbs being completely situated one on each side of the exact longitudinal center line of said unit, an intermediate portion of one limb being in substantial parallelism and bent laterally outward and then laterally inward, the latter bend defining a guide, the free end of said limb being looped upon itself and defining a hook, the bill portion of said hook being in resilient contact with said guide and providing an openable and closable throat, the remainin limb being bent laterally outward and then laterally inward, the latter bend defining a second guide, the free end portion of said remaining limb being looped upon itself in a direction opposite to said first-named looped portion and defining a second hook, the bill portion of the latter hook being in resilient contact with the corresponding guideand providing a second openable and closable throat, the respective throats being in opposed alignment with each other and defining a common unobstructed expansible and contractible link entrance for said hooks, said hooks defining an expansible and contractible link accommodating passageway between themselves, said guides being disposed in non-crossing sideby-side relationship and converging toward said common entrance and said passageway and de fining a V-shaped crotch whose vertex is expansible and contractible and is in communicative registration with said common entrance.

JOSEPH T. REBOTSKY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 159,313 Foster Feb. 2, 1875 184,211 Jones Nov. 7, 1876 249,947 Judd Nov. 22, 1881 742,690 Loree Oct. 2'7, 1903 

